Westpac shuts 22 branches nationally

WESTPAC will close 22 bank branches across Australia, days after promising to do more for customers following Kenneth Hayne’s royal commission final report.

Elderly residents and staff are among those expected to be affected by the closure of face-to-face sites in mostly metro areas, including three in southeast Queensland. Eight branches will close in and around Sydney and eight across Victoria, one in Adelaide, and one in Perth.

“We are continually reviewing our services to ensure they reflect how our customers are choosing to bank, now and in the future,” a Westpac spokesperson said.

“In the past 12 months, less than 2 per cent of transactions were through our branch network, as an increasing number of customers enjoy the convenience of our online and mobile banking services.”

Westpac said the decision to close a branch considered factors such as usage, location and proximity to other services the community relied upon.

Finance Sector Union national secretary Julia Angrisano said the announcement so soon after the royal commission into the financial sector’s misconduct sent a clear message to Westpac customers.

“Hard on the heels of the release of the banking royal commission report, these branch closures send a clear message to Westpac’s customers and staff: that Westpac cares more about profits than people,” Ms Angrisano said.